Things To Do In & Around Grand Rivers

Things To Do in Grand Rivers

Including Lake City

Grand Rivers, Kentucky and the surrounding area offers something
for everyone, whether you're looking for family entertainment or
outdoor adventures.

Patti's 1880's Settlement

Patti's 1880's Settlement is located in downtown Grand
Rivers. At Patti's, you'll find two famous restaurants,
several gift shops, and beautiful gardens. You'll also
find lots of fun activities for the entire family including
miniature golf, an animal park, mining for gold, corn-hole,
old time photos, and a playground.

In addition to the amazing food, Patti's is best known
for their spectacular Christmas lights. Over 500,000
lights can be seen at Patti's from November to January.

Grand Rivers Walking Trail & Jetty

In August of 2003, Kentucky Governor Paul Patton
dedicated the new Grand Rivers Walking Trail & Jetty. The
trails runs across the jetty, by the picturesque harbor filled
with scores of sailboats, and on to the heart of downtown Grand
Rivers where the famous Patti's 1880's Settlement is located and
numerous unique shops. In 2006, the trail was extended
beyond downtown toward Lake Barkley, and now offers and
mile-long nature hike from one end to the other.

Badgett Playhouse

Located on JH O'Bryan Avenue in downtown Grand Rivers, the Badgett
Playhouse is home to the Variety! Show and up to 12 additional
musical productions each year. The Badgett Playhouse has
family-friendly, year-round entertainment featuring a
professional cast of musicians, singers, and dancers.

Kentucky Lake / Kentucky Dam

Perhaps Grand Rivers is the only place in the world to have
two massive dams. The larger of the two, Kentucky Dam,
took six years to complete. This World War II-era dam was
completed in 1944, impounding the Tennessee River to form
Kentucky Lake. The lake, in some places, is two
miles wide. Kentucky Lake is 184 miles long, covering
160,300 acres with water. The dam itself is getting a
major overhaul with the addition of a new 1200-foot lock.
The power plant at the dam generates
hydroelectric power for west Kentucky. There are a couple of
jetties below the dam that offer excellent fishing and snagging
opportunities.

Lake Barkley / Barkley Dam

In 1964, the Cumberland River was dammed near Grand Rivers to
form Lake Barkley. Although still not quite as large at
its sister Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley provides recreation to
west Kentucky with over 1000 miles of shoreline, and nearly
60,000 acres of water at summer pool. The lake is 134
miles long and stretches to the Clarksville, TN area. Lake
Barkley is navigable and provides great opportunities for all
types of recreation including fishing.

Land Between The Lakes

Grand Rivers is proud to be home of the northern entrance to
The Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area.
The Land Between The Lakes, or LBL, offers a wide variety of
activities and attractions including hunting, fishing, bird and
wildlife watching, hiking, biking, educational centers,
horseback riding, annual events, and so much more. The
170,000-acre park features several nature centers, smaller
lakes, historic sites, a buffalo-elk range, the list goes on a
on. LBL has more than one million visitors annually, so
see for yourself why it is so popular.

Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Land Between The Lakes offer a unique vacation experience for everyone! Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley collectively is the largest body of water between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. Here you can enjoy fishing, boating, hunting, eating at great restaurants, and experiencing the numerous attractions of the Land Between The Lakes. The region is located just eight hours from Chicago, three hours from St. Louis and six hours west of the
Smoky Mountains.

Rocky Shores

Photo by John Mahler

Although the terrain in this part of the country is typically flat, you'll still find an occasional rocky shoreline like this one on Kentucky Lake.